Their genuine hearts are strong enough to overcome every challenge on their way. Unfortunately, their admirable kindness can sometimes lead them on, making them believe narcissists who come into their lives with cruel intentions. But they have a power within themselves that always helps them find the right path whenever they get lost.
Here are the 7 main stages of the relationship between an empath and a narcissist
1. The initial attraction.
While narcissists have no intention of developing feelings, they are fully aware of the way their magnetism influences others. On the other hand, when empaths fall in love, they fall deeply. In the beginning, the relationship between those two types of people seems to be going well, as narcissists manage to fool empaths that their love is mutual.
When an empath believes their feelings are met with the same enthusiasm, they feel like they have finally met the love of their life. Their pure minds cannot apprehend the possibility that they might actually be a narcissist’s victim. Meanwhile, their deceitful partners are leading them on, making them believe they have created a special bond. That’s when the empath feels like they’re falling deeply in love, when in reality, they’re falling into an emotional trap.
2. The one in control.
A common trait of people with narcissistic personalities is that they always want to be in control. That’s why the moment they sense their victim has fallen into their trap, they start using different tactics to weaken their minds. While a narcissist will never openly attack the empath, they will try every single manipulative trick they know to get under their skin and gain control over their emotions.
In case their nasty mind games work, the empath will gradually start to believe they are not able to find a better partner, and they deserve the treatment they get. This will give the narcissist a green light to become the sole center of the empath’s world. The one with the real feelings will always do whatever it takes to make their loved one happy, even if it means they would have to sacrifice themselves. Being too emotionally attached, they will believe every single lie they hear. Since empaths are natural givers and have nothing but good intentions, the narcissist will easily get what they want.
3. The relationship starts to be all about the narcissist.
One thing empaths will never understand is that a narcissist’s heart cannot be healed with love. Eventually, they start to sense their relationship is nothing like they have imagined it to be. Instead of sharing the same feelings, they will feel as if they need to fight for their partner’s affection. And no matter what they do, it will never be good enough.
So, they will try harder and harder until they realize that all this devotion is only making the narcissist more powerful. As long as the empath continues to put effort into pleasing their partner, they will be blind to the mental abuse they are being put through.
4. The first breaking point.
Eventually, the empath will open their eyes and will face the ugly truth. They will see that while they believed they were falling in love, they were only falling into someone’s wicked trap. That’s when their heart will break into a million pieces. But this pain will only help them understand it’s about time they stand up for themselves and refuse to be treated so poorly.
However, the second the empath tries to explain how they really feel, the narcissist will be quick to deny every word. Claiming they want to save their relationship, they will find an explanation for every accusation. It will be nothing but an attempt to regain control over their partner’s mind.
5. The blame-shifting.
While trying to clear their name with lies and excuses, narcissists usually try to victimize themselves by blaming the other person for their own actions. Not taking responsibility and refusing to apologize for their mistakes is in their nature. Sadly, the pure empath’s heart will believe all these lies. Instead of demanding to be treated the way they deserve, they will start feeling as if they were in the wrong, even though it was their feelings that got hurt.
Soon after, the empath will fall into the very same trap they almost saved themselves from. But this time, it will be worse, as the narcissist will now intensify the manipulation to make sure their victims will never be able to expose their true intentions. That’s when narcissists start using their deadliest weapons – gaslighting, scapegoating, and manipulation not only over the empath’s mind but over their whole reality.
6. The final realization.
When the narcissist decides they have everything under control, they unintentionally weaken their games. Unaware of their partner’s true emotional intelligence, they believe that once they have fooled them, they will be able to do it over and over again until they get everything they want. However, empaths are not so naive. Eventually, they realize they deserve to be loved, appreciated, and valued. They understand they have been under an extremely toxic influence that got them questioning their own worth. This realization helps them see their narcissistic partner’s true colors.
The hard truth empaths need to accept is that not everyone who says “I love you” truly means it. They need to understand that they are the actual victims. When that happens, they will no longer be an easy target for narcissists’s vicious manipulative tricks.
7. The liberation.
Narcissists are amongst the people in this world who don’t believe in change. They are convinced they are perfect just the way they are, and everyone else is obligated to admire their greatness. So, after a relationship between an empath and a narcissist ends, these egocentric beings will go on with their lives as nothing has happened. They won’t even remember the tremendous amounts of love and care they were unconditionally given.
However, the process of letting go will be a milestone for the empath. They will finally be free from the emotional abuse and the unbearable pain they were put through. The best thing is that they will finally have the chance to heal. That’s how they will become stronger, wiser, and more cautious with the people they give their love to.
With the help of self-reflection and, of course, time, empaths can gather the pieces of their broken hearts. This will teach them a valuable lesson on how to protect their fragile souls from people who see their kindness as a weakness. As the healers of today’s society, empaths will find the strength within them to overcome any challenge life gives them and to inspire others to do the same.
